Get ready for an amazing show in the sky this weekend! The Eta Aquarid meteor shower will light up the night with its stunning shooting stars. This year, there could be even more meteors than usual, possibly because of Jupiter’s gravity pulling them closer.
According to Live Science, shooting stars happen when tiny particles called meteoroids crash into Earth’s atmosphere. They burst into light and vaporize as they enter, creating bright streaks across the sky.
The Eta Aquarid meteors zoom through space at an incredible speed of about 65.5 kilometers per second.
When and Where to Watch the Eta Aquarid meteor shower?
For the best experience, mark your calendar for Sunday morning, May 5. With the moon just a thin crescent, visibility will be excellent without any moonlight interference. This meteor show usually stays strong for about 10 days around mid-spring.
If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, you’re in luck! This is the top meteor shower of the year for you, with hourly rates often surpassing 50 shooting stars.
If you’re planning to watch the it from north of the equator, there’s a slight downside. The radiant, where the meteors seem to come, is located in the “Water Jar” asterism of the Aquarius constellation. It rises above the southeast horizon around 3 a.m. local daylight time, but it doesn’t climb very high, especially from northern latitudes.
This means that the actual number of meteors you’ll see is often lower than the estimated 50 per hour.
For example, at around latitude 40 degrees north (like Philadelphia), you might see closer to 10 to 20 meteors per hour. And at approximately latitude 25 degrees north (like Brownsville, TX), you could see around 20 to 40 meteors per hour.
What are Ideal Viewing Conditions to view Eta Aquarid Shower?
For the best experience of the meteor shower, it’s important to have optimal viewing conditions. Luckily, on May 5, there will be minimal moonlight to interfere during the peak hours.
To see as many shooting stars as possible, you should find a location away from city lights with a clear view of the sky.
Emergence from Aquarius Constellation
The Eta Aquarid meteors come from the Aquarius constellation, which is why they’re named after it. They’re easier to see in the Southern Hemisphere because Aquarius is higher up in the sky there.